Though delicious, too much sugar in a diet can lead to a number of healthy concerns — especially for older adults. Find out how you can cut back your sugar intake and live healthier.
Boomers are largely a responsible and smart generation of people, but even they can still be neglectful of their health. Studies show boomers are in better health at their age than previous generations, but there are still a number of health concerns plaguing their generation, including diabetes. Poor eating habits have led to a high number of boomers suffering from diabetes later in life. Most professionals point to an excess of sugar in their diets. While sugar is no doubt a delicious addition to just about anything, there’s no ignoring the risks it causes to your health. This has led to an increase in people taking on sugar-free diets. I know, it doesn’t sound very fun, but, believe it or not, you can still enjoy yourself without sugar while also living healthier. So if you’re interested in cutting sugar out of your life, here are some tips how you can make it happen.
Start small.
Of course, for most people, this diet move will be quite a bit of a challenge. Even if you don’t think of yourself as someone who has much of a sweet tooth, chances are you get those cravings just like everyone else does. Luckily, the most effective to method for ridding yourself of sugar is not by quitting cold-turkey but by slowly removing it from your diet. Start with some small but significant steps. Cut out those sugary snacks and sodas. Add natural honey to your tea for sweetening. Switch to sugar-free gum. These are the first steps that you can then grow on until eventually cutting it out entirely.
Shop for whole foods.
Sugar is so present in the foods we eat that we probably don’t even realize just how much of eat we eat in a day. And while cutting out those bigger, more sugary items is a good start, by continuing to eat those processed foods that contain lots of sugar, you’ll keep getting those cravings. To combat this, switch you diet to whole foods. These are those fresh, non-processed foods with nothing added. You might think that this limits your options for meals, but there is plenty of delicious meals to enjoy while sticking to healthier food options.
Have regular meals.
Without a doubt, one of the biggest struggles you’ll face when cutting out sugar is overcoming those sugar cravings. It will take a lot of will power, distractions and different techniques to avoid succumbing to the temptations. One way of achieving this is by making your eating times more frequent. Those cravings tend to creep up and get really intense in between meals which causes unnecessary snacking. So instead of trying to make it from lunch to dinner without having a cookie, bridge that gap with more frequent and smaller meals. It’s recommended that people eat five small meals a day rather than the three big ones most of us are used to. If you have less time between eating, you’ll have less time to think about how bad you want some sugar.
Make your own food.
Again, avoiding sugar in our everyday meals is a lot harder than you might initially think. And when it comes to cutting it out of your diet, you really have to keep a vigilant eye when grocery shopping. So many of those foods we think of as healthy can have a surprising amount of sugar. However, that doesn’t mean we have to cut those favourite foods out. Try making your own sugar-free versions of those foods normally sold with sugar such as pasta sauce and yogurt. It’s a little more work, but it means you can keep eating the food you love while remaining health conscious.
Drink lots of water.
We end with the easiest step to a sugar-free diet and one that you should already be doing. Since we were kids, we were told to drink eight glasses of water each day. That particular health tip has been a little exaggerated, but water is still an important part of a healthy lifestyle. While water isn’t a replacement for meals, it helps to keep you feeling full in between and can cut back those unhealthy cravings.
While none of these methods are cut-and-dry and far easier said than done, if you are serious about pursuing this healthier diet these simple tips can help greatly in achieving and maintaining your new eating habits. As always, consult your doctor for further information, methods and concerns you might have able your lifestyle.